Abstract
BackgroundThe association between soy intake and adverse pregnancy outcomes remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to investigate the soy consumption of pregnant women in the second trimester and explore the prospective association between soy intake and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.MethodsPregnant women between 13 and 24 weeks of gestation were recruited at a women’s and children’s hospital in southwest China from June to December 2019. Dietary intakes in the middle trimester were assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Participants were divided into the insufficient group (< 40 g/day) and the control group (≥40 g/day) according to daily soy consumption. Participants were followed up until delivery. Pregnancy outcomes including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), cesarean section, and macrosomia were obtained. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between soy intake and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Sociodemographic information, histories of diseases, and duration of physical activities were obtained and used for covariate adjustments.ResultsA total of 224 participants were included in this study, of which identified 36 (16.1%) cases of GDM, and 120 (53.6%) cases of cesarean section. More than half (125, 55.8%) pregnant women consumed less soy than 40 g/day. Daily soy intake less than 40 g was associated with the increased risk of GDM (OR = 2.755 95%CI 1.230-6.174, P = 0.014) and cesarean section (OR = 1.792 95%CI 1.035-3.101, P = 0.037) without adjustment for confounders such as age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, parity, daily intake of vegetables, fruits, seafood and, nuts. After adjusting for these factors, daily soy intake of less than 40 g increased 2.116-fold risk of GDM (95%CI 1.228-7.907, P = 0.017), but not with the significantly increased risk of cesarean section.ConclusionInsufficient soy intake may increase the risk of GDM, suggesting adequate soy intake may have a beneficial role in the prevention of GDM.Trial registrationRegistration number: ChiCTR1900023721. Date of registration: June 9, 2019.
Highlights
The association between soy intake and adverse pregnancy outcomes remains unclear
Some studies showed that soy consumption did not affect measures of glycemic control [3, 5], but many studies have demonstrated adequate intake of soy or soy products plays a beneficial role in decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications such as cardiovascular disease [6,7,8]
224 participants were included in the final analysis, of which 125 (55.8%) pregnant women had a daily intake of less than 40 g soy
Summary
The association between soy intake and adverse pregnancy outcomes remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to investigate the soy consumption of pregnant women in the second trimester and explore the prospective association between soy intake and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Dietary guidelines of many countries recommend soy products as a protein supplement for pregnant women. Plants, especially soy, are an important source of dietary protein supplements for people in East and Southeast Asia, where consumption of meat is traditionally low. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends Chinese pregnant women consume at least 40 g of soy a day as a protein supplement, with a maximum of 60 g per day. Much attention has been paid to dietary guidance for pregnant women It remains unclear whether soy intake is valued in perinatal care
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